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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!h-sc1!shiue
From: shiue@h-sc1.UUCP (steve shiue)
Newsgroups: net.bio,net.med,net.motss
Subject: AIDS Research - Antiviral Drugs (Query)?
Message-ID: <835@h-sc1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Dec-85 00:50:52 EST
Article-I.D.: h-sc1.835
Posted: Fri Dec 13 00:50:52 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Dec-85 08:03:15 EST
References: <894@ecsvax.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center
Lines: 23
Keywords: Also reverse transcriptase, and mosquitoes (???)
Xref: watmath net.bio:319 net.med:2967 net.motss:2337


	In a discussion with my roommate last spring, it occurred to me that
one useful line of therapy against AIDS and other retroviruses would be to
develop drugs that SELECTIVELY inhibit reverse trascriptase, the enzyme that
such viruses use to convert their RNA genomes into DNA that can be
incorporated into eukaryotic chromosomes.  As far as I can tell, there is no
eukaryotic counterpart to this virus.  Of course, it immediately occurred to
me that actual scientists must have been researching this already, and I've
heard that at least some of the experimental French drugs being developed and
tested employ this strategy (I know that this wouldn't remove the infection
but only check its spread).  If anyone can tell me what the names of these
drugs are, if they exist, and how effective and selective they are, I would
really appreciate it - I'm too busy reading other research for school to track
this down.
	In addition, my roommate mentioned that mosquitoes might possibly
provide suitable vectors for the spread of the disease - I've heard that this
has been looked into in some towns in Florida with AIDS victims not in the
"high risk" groups.  Does anyone know anything about this?

			-Steve Shiue

"I don't make monkeys.  I only train them!"
	-P.W. Herman